Semiconductor Device

ABSTRACT

Provided is a semiconductor device comprising: a GaN crystal substrate defining a principal, (0001) Ga face and defining a matrix, being a majority, polarity-determining domain of the GaN crystal, and inversion domains, being domains in which the polarity in the GaN crystal&#39;s [0001] direction is inverted with respect to the matrix, the GaN substrate having a ratio S t /S, of collective area S t  cm 2  of inversion domains to the total area S cm 2  of the GaN substrate principal face, of no more than 0.5, with the density along the (0001) Ga face of inversion domains whose surface area is 1 μm 2  or more being D cm −2 ; and an at least single-lamina semiconductor layer on the GaN substrate principal face, the semiconductor layer defining a semiconductor-device principal face; wherein the product S c ×D of the area S c  of the semiconductor-device principal face and the inversion domain density D is less than 2.3.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices includinglight-emitting diodes, electronic devices, and semiconductor sensors,and to methods of manufacturing the semiconductor devices; in particularthe present invention relates to semiconductor devices incorporating areduced-dislocation-density GaN substrate, and to methods ofmanufacturing such devices.

2. Description of the Related Art

Designing for improved characteristics in various GaN-substrate or otherIII-nitride-substrate employing semiconductor devices, such aslight-emitting diodes, electronic devices, and semiconductor sensors, isdemanding low dislocation density from the substrates.

Examples that have been proposed of how to manufacture such III-nitridesubstrates of low dislocation density include the following. X. Xu etal., in “Growth and Characterization of Low Defect GAN by Hydride VaporPhase Epitaxy,” Journal of Crystal Growth, 246, (2002), pp. 223-229(“Non-Patent Literature 1” hereinafter) report that dislocation densitydecreases with increasing thickness of the grown crystal, and that, forexample, growing GaN crystal to a thickness of 1 mm or more on anonnative substrate of chemical composition different from that of GaNlowers the dislocation density to a level of 1×10⁶ cm⁻² or less.

Meanwhile, A. Usui et al., “Thick GaN Epitaxial Growth with LowDislocation Density by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy,” Japanese Journal ofApplied Physics, Vol. 36 (1997), pp. L899-L902 (“Non-Patent Literature2” hereinafter) report that in growing GaN crystal onto a non-nativesubstrate, creating facets by forming a mask layer having aperturesmakes it possible to control the orientation in which dislocationspropagate, and thereby lower the GaN crystal dislocation density.

Nevertheless, GaN crystal, and GaN substrates obtained from the crystal,grown by the crystal growing methods of Non-Patent Literature 1 orNon-Patent Literature 2, proved to be plagued with serious defects apartfrom dislocations, although the density of the dislocations is in factlowered to about 1×10⁶ cm⁻². The defects were readily detected, inasmuchas the GaN substrate was etched with an alkali, leaving it pitted. Inparticular, when a specular-polished (0001) Ga face of a GaN substratewas etched for some tens of minutes in an aqueous KOH solution at 50°C., the areas where defects were present were etched to a depth ofseveral μm, forming pits. Furthermore, etching the specular (0001) Gaface of the GaN substrate with molten KOH, molten NaOH melt, or a moltenKOH/NaOH mixture, pitted the Ga face with roughly hexagonal columns,walled by N faces.

GaN is a crystal having polarity in the [0001] direction, and acharacteristic trait of GaN crystal is that its (0001) Ga faces are notreadily etched with alkalis, whereas its (000 1) N faces are readilyalkali-etched. From this perspective, it is apparent that the GaNcrystal and GaN substrate discussed above have two types of domains thatdiffer in polarity. The two domains are defined as the principal domain(matrix), which is the majority, polarity-determining domain of GaNcrystal and GaN substrates, and inversion domains, which are domains inwhich the polarity in the [0001] direction is inverted with respect tothe matrix. This means that on a (0001) Ga face that is the principalplane of a GaN substrate, both the (0001) Ga face of the matrix as wellas (000 1) N faces of inversion domains appear. Therefore, when a (0001)Ga face that is the principal plane of a GaN crystal is etched, theinversion domains become more etched than the matrix, such thatapproximately hexagonal columnar pits form from the inversion domains.In other words, the hexagonal columnar pits are pits that originate inthe inversion domains.

Meanwhile, along the principal plane of a GaN substrate, pitsoriginating in dislocations are not the result of etching with KOHsolution at 50° C. for some tens of minutes, but are the result ofetching with the molten KOH/NaOH mixture. Yet since they are in the formof hexagonal pyramids having ridgelines, pits originating indislocations are readily distinguished from pits originating ininversion domains. It should be noted that, other than by the etchingmentioned above, the principal and inversion domains can be readilydistinguished from each other also by cathodoluminescence (CL), or byobservation under a florescence microscope, because the luminosities ofthe two domains differ distinctly.

In implementations in which GaN crystal is grown on a non-nativesubstrate, a low-temperature buffer layer is generally formed on thenon-native substrate, as is the case in Non-Patent Literatures 1 and 2,but in thus growing GaN crystal on a non-native substrate with alow-temperature buffer layer intervening, inversion domains inevitablyform. This has meant that general GaN crystal will contain inversiondomains.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention, brought about in orderto resolve issues such as discussed above, is to make availablesemiconductor device manufacturing methods, whereby evaluating impact ofthe presence and sizes of the inversion domains on the properties of asemiconductor device manufactured by forming on a typical GaN crystalsubstrate a plurality of semiconductor layers leads to high-yieldmanufacturing of semiconductor devices having superior characteristics.

One aspect of the present invention is a semiconductor devicemanufacturing method comprising: a step of preparing a GaN substratehaving a ratio S_(t)/S, of collective area S_(t) cm² of inversiondomains to total area S cm² of the GaN substrate principal face, of nomore than 0.5, with the density along the (0001) Ga face, being the GaNsubstrate principal face, of inversion domains whose surface area wherethe polarity in the [0001] direction is inverted with respect to thematrix is 1 μm² or more being D cm⁻²; and a step of growing on the GaNsubstrate principal face an at least single-lamina semiconductor layerto form a semiconductor device in which the product S_(c)×D of thesurface area S_(c) of the semiconductor device principal face and theinversion-domain density D is made less than 2.3.

Furthermore, in the semiconductor device manufacturing method involvingthe present invention, the ratio S_(t)/S can be made 0.2 or less, andthe product S_(c)×D less than 0.7. Additionally, the ratio S_(t)/S canbe brought to 0.05 or less, and the product S_(c)×D to less than 0.1.Still further, the area of the GaN substrate principal face may be made10 cm² or more. The GaN substrate can be manufactured also by vaporphase techniques. Herein, among vapor-phase techniques, hydride vaporphase epitaxy (HVPE) can be utilized.

The present invention in another aspect is a semiconductor devicemanufactured by the above manufacturing method.

According to the present invention, semiconductor device manufacturingmethods whereby semiconductor devices having superior characteristicsare manufactured at high yields are made available.

From the following detailed description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, the foregoing and other objects, features,aspects and advantages of the present invention will become readilyapparent to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A, in a schematic diagram representing a GaN-substrate preparationstep in a semiconductor device manufacturing method involving thepresent invention, is an outline upper-surface view illustrating a GaNsubstrate;

FIG. 1B, in a schematic diagram representing a GaN-substrate preparationstep in a semiconductor device manufacturing method involving thepresent invention, is an outline sectional view taken along the lineIB-IB in FIG. 1A, seen in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 2A, in a schematic diagram representing the semiconductor-layergrowth step in a semiconductor device manufacturing method involving thepresent invention, is an outline upper-surface view illustrating asemiconductor wafer;

FIG. 2B, in a schematic diagram representing the semiconductor-layergrowth step in a semiconductor device manufacturing method involving thepresent invention, is an outline sectional view taken along the lineIIB-IIB in FIG. 2A, seen in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3A, in a schematic diagram representing a semiconductor-deviceformation step in a semiconductor device manufacturing method involvingthe present invention, is an outline upper-surface view illustrating asemiconductor wafer;

FIG. 3B, in a schematic diagram representing a semiconductor-deviceformation step in a semiconductor device manufacturing method involvingthe present invention, is an outline sectional view taken along the lineIIIB-IIIB in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 is an outline section diagram illustrating one embodiment of asemiconductor device involving the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a graph representing the relationship between the presence ofan inverted polarity layer within the GaN substrate of a semiconductordevice, and the device's reverse breakdown voltage; and

FIG. 6 is a graph representing the relationship between the surface areaof inversion domains along the principal face of a semiconductor-deviceGaN substrate, and the properties of the semiconductor device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiment Mode 1

With reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 3, one embodiment mode of asemiconductor device manufacturing method involving the presentinvention includes: a step of preparing a GaN substrate 10 having aratio S_(t) /S of collective area S_(t) cm² of inversion domains 10 t tothe total surface area S cm² of the principal face 10 m of the GaNsubstrate 10, of no more than 0.5, with the density along the (0001) Gaface, being principal face 10 m of the GaN substrate 10, of inversiondomains 10 t whose surface area where the polarity in the [0001]direction is inverted with respect to the matrix 10 s is 1 μm² or morebeing D cm⁻² (FIG. 1); and a step of growing on the principal face 10 mof the GaN substrate 10 an at least single-lamina semiconductor layer 20to form semiconductor devices 40, in which the product S_(c)×D of thearea S_(c) of the principal faces 40 m of the semiconductor devices 40and the density D of the inversion domains 10 t is made less than 2.3(FIGS. 2 and 3).

Including these steps makes it possible to afford semiconductor devicemanufacturing methods whereby semiconductor devices having superiorcharacteristics are manufactured at high yields. Below, these featuresare explained in detail.

First, a study of the relationship between the presence of the inversiondomains that a GaN substrate in a semiconductor device has and theproperties of the semiconductor device was made. Referring to FIG. 4, asa semiconductor layer 20, a 0.6-μm thick n⁺-type GaN layer 22, a 7-μmthick n-type GaN layer 24 (with an electron concentration of 3×10¹⁶cm⁻³), and a 0.5-μm thick p-type GaN layer 26 (with an Mg atomconcentration of 7×10¹⁷ cm⁻³) were formed on the principal face 10 m ofa 400-μm thick n-type GaN substrate (the GaN substrate 10) in which thelocations of inversion domains was comprehended. (The density of theinversion domains on the substrate principal face was 20 cm⁻², and thesurface area of the inversion domains was 1 to 10,000 μm²). A p-njunction, being the semiconductor device principal faces 40 m, was thusformed between the n-type GaN layer 24 and the p-type GaN layer 26.Next, an Ni/Au laminated electrode, serving as a p-side electrode 32,was formed onto the p-type GaN substrate 26, and a Ti/Al laminatedelectrode, serving as an n-side electrode 34, was formed onto the backside 10 n (the side opposite from the principal face 10 m) of the n-typeGaN substrate (the GaN substrate 10), to produce the semiconductordevices 40, whose principal faces 40 m had a surface area of 1 cm².

As to the produced semiconductor devices 40, referring to FIG. 5, astudy of the relationship between the presence of inverted polaritylayers within the GaN substrate 10 and reverse breakdown voltage wasmade. Herein, “reverse breakdown voltage” means the voltage at which,when a voltage is applied in the reverse direction to a semiconductordevice (the voltage thus applied is termed the reverse applied voltage),the semiconductor device is destroyed, and the leakage-current densityrapidly increases. In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents the reverseapplied voltage (V), and the vertical axis represents the leakagecurrent density (A/cm²).

As illustrated in FIG. 5, in the semiconductor devices, in Group A,whose GaN substrates had inversion domains, the reverse breakdownvoltage lowered remarkably, compared with that of the semiconductordevices, in Group B, whose GaN substrates did not have inversiondomains. From these results it was apparent that the properties ofsemiconductor devices having within the GaN substrate inversion domainswhose surface area along the principal face is 1 to 10,000 μm² werepronouncedly compromised.

Next, referring to FIG. 6, a study of the relationship between thesurface area of inversion domains along the GaN substrate principal facein a semiconductor device, and the semiconductor device properties wasmade. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents the surface area of theinversion domains along the GaN substrate principal face (units: μm²),the vertical axis represents the leakage-current density (A/cm²), thedot-and-dash line E represents the average leakage-current density in asemiconductor device in which the GaN substrate has no inversiondomains, and the double-dot-and-dash line F represents full-scaleleakage current density. Herein, the reverse applied voltage was made100V.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the leak current density in the semiconductordevice gradually rose when the surface area of the inversion domainsalong the GaN substrate principal face increased to 1 μm² or more, andthe leakage-current density rose drastically when the area increased to5 μm² or more. The possible reason is that in growing epitaxially asemiconductor layer on the GaN substrate principal face with the area ofthe inversion domains being kept under 5 μm² in the semiconductor layer(not illustrated), low growth rate domains grown on the inversiondomains are buried by (not-illustrated) high growth rate domains grownon the principal domain in the semiconductor layer, and thus theinversion domains are not passed to the working portion (for example,the p-n junction) of the semiconductor device.

The results of FIGS. 5 and 6 demonstrated that the presence of theinversion domains where of surface area along the semiconductorprincipal face of 1 μm² or more adversely affected the semiconductordevice properties. Accordingly, with attention being directed to theinversion domains whose surface area along the semiconductor-deviceprincipal face is 1 μm² or more, the following study will be carriedout.

Referring to FIG. 3, the relationship between the density D (units:cm⁻²) of the inversion domains whose surface area along the principalface 10 m of the GaN substrate 10 is 1 μm² or more, and the area Sc(units: cm²) of the principal faces 40 m of the semiconductor devices 40is believed to be as follows. Namely, the likelihood that no inversiondomains are present within the principal faces 40 m of any semiconductordevices 40 formed on the principal face 10 m of the GaN substrate 10 (inother words, the yield with which semiconductor devices (products) ofgood physical properties are manufactured) is 10% when the productS_(c)×D is 2.3, 50% when the product S_(c)×D is 0.7, and 90% when theproduct S_(c)×D is 0.1, wherein the probability depends on the productof the area S_(c) cm² of the principal faces 40 m of the semiconductordeices 40 and the density D cm⁻² of the inversion domains 10 t along theprincipal face 10 m of the GaN substrate 10. Herein, from theperspective of industrial applicability, the yield rate should exceed10%. Accordingly, the product S_(c)×D is necessarily 2.3, preferablyless than 0.7, and more preferably less than 0.1.

What is considered for above conditions on the product S_(c)×D is onlythe density of the inversion domains along the GaN substrate principalface, not their area. More precisely, in the situation in which thesurface area of each inversion domain is small, semiconductor deviceyield can be governed solely by the conditions on the product S_(c)×D,but in situations in which the surface area of each inversion domain islarge, an evaluation of the inversion-domain surface area must beincluded. Herein, the diversity of surface areas is prohibitive ofspecifying the surface areas of the inversion domains individually.

Therefore, in calculating the likelihood that no inversion domains arepresent within the principal faces of any semiconductor devices formedon the GaN substrate principal face (in other words, the yield withwhich semiconductor devices of good physical properties aremanufactured), referring to FIG. 1, the relationship between the totalarea S (units: cm²) of the GaN substrate principal face and thecollective area S_(t) (units: cm²), along the GaN substrate principalface, of the inversion domains 10 t was taken into consideration. Thatis, the probability that no inversion domains are present variesdepending on the ratio S_(t)/S of the collective area S_(t) cm² of theinversion domains to the total area S cm² of the GaN substrate principalface—the larger the ratio S_(t)/S, the lower the probability, and thesmaller the S_(t)/S, the higher the probability.

In the calculation of the probability that no inversion domains arepresent, making the probability 10% when the product S_(c)×D is 2.3requires bringing the ratio S_(t)/S to 0.5 or less, making theprobability 50% when the product S_(c)×D is 0.7 requires bringing theratio S_(t)/S to 0.2 or less, and raising the probability to 90% whenthe product S_(c)×D is 0.1 requires reducing the ratio S_(t)/S to 0.05or less. Accordingly, the ratio S_(t)/S is necessarily made 0.5 or less,preferably 0.2 or less, and more preferably 0.05 or less.

Hereinafter, specifically, the semiconductor device manufacturing methodof this embodiment will be described, based on FIG. 1 through FIG. 3.For reference, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the alternate long and two shortdashes lines represent chip-dividing lines 41 for dividing in FIG. 3 asemiconductor wafer 30 into chips.

First, referring to FIG. 1, the GaN substrate 10 whose principal face 10m is (0001) Ga face is prepared (a step of preparing a GaN substrate).In the GaN substrate 10, the density of the inversion domains 10 t,where the extent of the area, along the principal face 10 m of the GaNsubstrate 10, in which the polarity in the [0001] direction is invertedwith respect to the principal domain 10 s of the GaN substrate 10 is 1μm² or more, is D cm⁻². Furthermore, the GaN substrate 10 has a ratioS_(t)/S, of collective area S_(t) cm² of the collective inversiondomains 10 t to the total area S cm² of the principal face 10 m of theGaN substrate 10, of no more than 0.5. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 1, the inversion domains 10 t comprises five inversion domains 10 t₁, 10 t ₂, 10 t ₃, 10 t ₄, and 10 t ₅, which have different areasS_(t1), S_(t2), S_(t3), S_(t4), and S_(t5). The collective area S_(t) ofthe inversion domains 10 t is sum of the areas S_(t1), S_(t2), S_(t3),S_(t4), and S_(t5) of the inversion domains 10 t ₁, 10 t ₂, 10 t ₃, 10 t₄, and 10 t ₅.

Because in the GaN substrate, the ratio S_(t)/S of the collective areaS_(t) cm² of the inversion domains 10 t to the total area S cm² of theprincipal face 10 m of the GaN substrate 10 is 0.5 or less, the yield ofsemiconductor devices formed on this substrate can be heightened.Therein, the ratio S_(t)/S is preferably 0.2 or less, and morepreferably 0.1 or less. Furthermore, as described hereinafter, formingsemiconductor devices having principal faces whose areas are ideal fordensity Dc of the inversion domains where the area along the principalface 10 m of the GaN substrate 10 is 1 μm² or more heightens thesemiconductor device yield.

From the perspective of manufacturing a large number of semiconductordevices efficiently, the area of the principal face 10 m on the GaNsubstrate 10 is preferably 10 cm² or more.

Methods of manufacturing such a GaN substrate are not limitedparticularly, wherein the examples of the manufacturing methods includeHVPE, matalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and molecular beamepitaxy (MBE), and other vapor-phase techniques, and flux-growth andother liquid-phase techniques. There are not any inversion domainsdiscernible on the GaN substrate manufactured by the liquid-phasetechniques, but from the perspective of producing large size of crystalsat a high growth rate, the vapor-phase techniques are preferable, and inparticular HVPE is more preferable. Moreover, because the GaN substrate10 manufactured by HVPE is often provided with the inversion domains,the present invention is characterized in that controlling the inversiondomains leads to high-yield manufacturing of semiconductor deviceshaving superior characteristics.

In manufacturing the GaN substrate by HVPE, possible procedures forreducing the inversion domains that the GaN substrate has are asfollows. Among the procedures, there is a procedure in which a GaNcrystal is grown by HVPE on a GaN base substrate, produced byliquid-phase techniques, having no inversion domains. In this procedure,however, a large size of GaN base substrate cannot be produced.Furthermore, there is a procedure in which mask layers are formed in theinversion domains on the GaN base substrate, and then the GaN crystal isgrown by HVPE to cover the mask layers with the GaN crystal that hasbeen laterally grown. In such a procedure, however, the mask layers areunlikely to form so as to be in correspondence with the inversiondomains present randomly on the GaN base substrate.

Therefore, effective is a procedure in which after pits form as a resultof etching the inversion domains on the principal face of the GaNsubstrate, produced by the vapor-phase techniques, having the inversiondomains on its principal face, growing the GaN crystal by HVPE promptsburying of the inversion domain having low crystal growth rate in theprincipal domain having high crystal growth rate. Herein, from theperspective of prompting the burying of the inversion domains, the depthof the pits in the inversion domains of the GaN base substrate ispreferably larger than the widths (that are the diameters of approximatecircles when the inversion domains can be approximated to the circles,and that are widths of stripes when the domains are shaped into thestripes) of the inversion domains. Herein, in etch, material of etchresistance, such as Pt board, is preferably placed on the back side (theside opposite to the front side, hereinafter) in order to prevent theback side of the GaN base substrate from being etched.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, an at least single-lamina semiconductor layer20 is grown on the principal face 10 m of the GaN substrate 10 (a stepof growing a semiconductor layer), and referring to FIG. 3, asemiconductor devices 40 are formed so that the product S_(c)×D of thearea S_(c) of the principal faces of the semiconductor devices 40 andthe density D of the inversion domains is 2.3 or less (a step of forminga semiconductor device).

With this product S_(c)×D being 2.3 or less, preferably 0.7 or less, andmore preferably 0.1 or less, semiconductor device yields can beheightened.

Herein, in the semiconductor layer growing step in FIG. 2, a n⁺-type GaNlayer 22, a n-type GaN layer 24 and a p-type GaN layer 26 aresuccessively formed as the at least single-lamina semiconductor layer 20on the principal face 10 m of the GaN substrate 10. As a result, the p-njunction forms between the n-type GaN layer 24 and the p-type GaN layer26. Next, a Ni/Au laminated electrode (the Ni layer contacts with theGaN layer), serving as a p-side electrode 32, is formed onto the p-typeGaN substrate 26, and a Ti/Al laminated electrode (the Ti layer contactswith the n-type GaN substrate), serving as a n-side electrode 34, isformed onto a back side 10 n (the side opposite to the principal face 10m) of the n-type GaN substrate (GaN substrate 10), to produce asemiconductor wafer 30.

Furthermore, in the semiconductor device forming step in FIG. 3, thep-side electrode 32, p-type GaN layer 26, and a part of the n-type GaNlayer 24 undergo mesa-etching along chip dividing lines 41.Subsequently, the semiconductor wafer 30 is divided along the chipdividing lines 41 into the semiconductor devices 40, in which the areasof their principal faces are S_(c) cm². For example, as illustrated inFIG. 3, the one semiconductor wafer 30 is divided into 10 chips C1 toC10 to manufacture 10 semiconductor devices 40.

Herein, the principal faces 40 m on the semiconductor devices 40 meanprincipal faces of the main portion (functional portion) activating thefunction of the semiconductor devices. In the semiconductor device ofthis embodiment, the p-n junction corresponds to the principal faces 40m. Although with the principal faces 40 m of the manufacturedsemiconductor devices 40 being small, the inversion domains 10 t thatthe GaN substrate 10 has is not so much disadvantageous, the larger theprincipal faces 40 m of the semiconductor devices 40, the moredisadvantageous the inversion domains 10 t. Accordingly, the presentinvention is useful particularly in manufacturing the large size ofsemiconductor devices 40 in which the areas of their principal faces 40m are 1 mm² or more.

In this embodiment mode, the recitation has been made on theprecondition that the principal face 10 m of the GaN substrate 10 in thesemiconductor devices 40 is (0001) Ga face, though in practice, theprincipal face 10 m of the GaN substrate 10 may have a slightlymisoriented angle with respect to the (0001) Ga face.

Embodiment Mode 2

Another embodiment mode of the semiconductor device involving thepresent invention is a semiconductor device manufactured by themanufacturing method in Embodiment Mode 1. In the semiconductor deviceof Embodiment Mode 2, referring to FIG. 4, the n⁺-type GaN layer 22,n-type GaN layer 24 and p-type GaN layer 26 are formed as the at leastsingle-laminar semiconductor layer 20 on the GaN substrate 10.Furthermore, the Ni/Au laminated electrode, serving as the p-sideelectrode 32, is formed onto the p-type GaN substrate 26, and the Ti/Allaminated electrode, serving as the n-side electrode 34, is formed ontothe back side 10 n of the n-type GaN substrate.

With reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 4, semiconductor devices of thisembodiment are the semiconductor devices 40, in which the areas of theirprincipal faces 40 m are S_(c) cm⁻², formed employing the GaN substrate10 in which the density of the inversion domains 10 t, where the areaalong the principal face 10 m is 1 μm² or more, is D cm⁻², the totalarea of the principal face 10 m is S cm², and the collective area of theinversion domains 10 t is S_(t) cm⁻². Because the ratio S_(t)/S is 0.5or less, and the product S_(c)×D is less than 2.3, the properties ofsemiconductor devices can be enhanced. Therein, preferably, the ratioS_(t)/S is 0.2 or less, and the product S_(c)×D is less than 0.7, andmore preferably, the ratio S_(t)/S is 0.05 or less, and the productS_(c)×D is less than 0.1.

EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 1. Preparation of GaN Substrate

As a base substrate, the GaN substrate in which (0001) Ga face, whosediameter was 2 inches (50.8 mm), and whose depth was 400 μm, was theprincipal face was employed. As a result of etching for 30 minutes theprincipal face of the base substrate with a mixture of KOH and NaOH(mass ratio: 1:1) at 300° C., 352 pits in hexagonal cylinder shapeformed in the inversion domains on the principal face. During etch,keeping a Pt board in close contact with the back side (the sideopposite to the front side) of the base substrate prevented etchingsolution from running into the back side of the base substrate. Thehexagonal-cylinder-shaped pits caused by the etching were 20 μm to 100μm in width (diameter of the approximate circles), and 20 μm to 250 μmin depth.

A GaN crystal layer 10 mm in thickness was grown by HVPE on the basesubstrate principal face in which the hexagonal-cylinder-shaped pits hadformed. Herein, the temperature at which Ga source gas was generated wasmade 850° C., and the temperature at which a GaN crystal was grown was1200° C. An added feature of the experimental design was to make the GaNsubstrate growing temperature 1000° C. or more, which reduced theinversion domains as the GaN crystal grew.

The grown GaN crystal layer was sliced paralleling the base substrateprincipal face to a thickness of 500 μm to produce 10 GaN substrateswhose principal faces are (0001) Ga faces. These substrates were definedas S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, and S10 from the substrate side.In all the GaN substrates, the diameter of their principal faces was 2inches (5.08 cm), and the area S of their principal faces was 20 cm².

The produced GaN substrates were etched for 30 minutes with 2N KOHsolution at 50° C., and the number of the pits (corresponding to theinversion domains) formed on the principal faces was counted, tocalculate the density D cm⁻² of the inversion domains on the principalfaces. The density D cm⁻² of the inversion domain on the principal facesof the more distant GaN substrates (the substrates produced from afurther grown part of the crystal) from the base substrate side furtherlowered. Herein, as to each of the GaN substrates, the precisecollective area of the inversion domains was not measured. Thecollective area S_(t) cm² of the inversion domains was calculated,letting the area of each of the inversion domains was 0.196 cm² of less,because the width of each of the inversion domains (the diameter of theapproximate circle) was 500 μm or less (the area was 0.196 cm² of less).The results are set forth in the table.

2. Semiconductor Layer Growth

Referring to FIG. 2, the principal faces 10 m of the GaN substrates 10were polished again, and then the 0.6-μm thick n⁺-type GaN layer 22,7-μm thick n-type GaN layer 24 (electron concentration was 3×10¹⁶ cm⁻³),and 0.5-μm thick p-type GaN layer 26 (Mg atomic concentration was 7×10¹⁷cm⁻³) were formed by MOCVD as the semiconductor layer 20 on theprincipal faces 10 that had been polished again. As a result, the p-njunction formed between the n-type GaN layer 24 and the p-type GaN layer26. Subsequently, a Ni layer and an Au layer were formed successively byvapor-deposition techniques to form a Ni/Au laminated electrode, servingas the p-side electrode 32, on the p-type GaN layer 26. As a result, asemiconductor wafer 30 was produced for each of the GaN substrates 10.

3. Semiconductor Device Formation

Referring to FIG. 3, in the semiconductor wafer 30, the p-side electrode32, p-type GaN layer 26, and a part of the n-type GaN layer 24 undergonemesa-etching along the chip dividing lines 41. Subsequently, thesemiconductor wafer was divided along the chip dividing lines 41 into 10chips C1 to C10 to produce from the wafer 30 10 semiconductor devices40, in which the area of the principal faces 40 m (the p-n junction inthis embodiment) was 1 cm². The produced 10 semiconductor devicesundergone reverse breakdown voltage test, and the semiconductor deviceyield (units: %) was evaluated on the preconditions that semiconductordevices with reverse breakdown voltage of 500 V or more were products.The results are set forth in the table.

TABLE GaN substrate Density of Collective area Semiconductor principalface Number of inversion of inversion device principal Semiconductor GaNsurface area inversion domains domains Ratio face surface area Productdevice yield substrate S (cm²) domains D (cm⁻²) St (cm²) S_(t)/S Sc(cm²) S_(c) × D (%) S1 20 51 2.55 ≦10.0 ≦0.50 1 2.55 0 S2 20 45 2.25≦8.8 ≦0.44 1 2.25 10 S3 20 35 1.75 ≦6.9 ≦0.35 1 1.75 20 S4 20 16 0.80≦3.1 ≦0.16 1 0.80 40 S5 20 12 0.60 ≦2.4 ≦0.12 1 0.60 60 S6 20 5 025≦0.98 ≦0.05 1 0.25 80 S7 20 4 0.20 ≦0.78 ≦0.04 1 0.20 80 S8 20 3 0.15≦0.59 ≦0.03 1 0.15 90 S9 20 1 0.05 ≦0.20 ≦0.01 1 0.05 100  S10 20 0 0 00 1 0 100

As is clear from the table, in the semiconductor device manufacturingmethod involving the present invention, making the ratio S_(t)/S 0.5 orless and the product S_(c)×D less than 2.3 could bring the semiconductordevice yield to 10% or more. Furthermore, making the ratio S_(t)/S 0.2or less and the product S_(c)×D less than 0.7 could bring thesemiconductor device yield to 50% or more. Moreover, lowering the ratioS_(t)/S to 0.05 or less and the product S_(c)×D to less than 0.1 couldraise the semiconductor device yield to 90% or more.

The presently disclosed embodiments and implementation examples shouldin all respects be considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Thescope of the present invention is set forth not by the foregoingdescription but by the scope of the scope of the patent claims, and isintended to include meanings equivalent to the scope of the patentclaims and all modifications within the scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor device, comprising: a GaN crystalsubstrate defining a principal, (0001) Ga face and defining a matrix,being a majority, polarity-determining domain of the GaN crystal, andinversion domains, being domains in which the polarity in the GaNcrystal's [0001] direction is inverted with respect to the matrix, theGaN substrate having a ratio S_(t)/S, of collective area S_(t) cm² ofinversion domains to the total area S cm² of the GaN substrate principalface, of no more than 0.5, with the density along the (0001) Ga face ofinversion domains whose surface area is 1 μm² or more being D cm⁻²; andan at least single-lamina semiconductor layer on the GaN substrateprincipal face, the semiconductor layer defining a semiconductor-deviceprincipal face; wherein the product S_(c)×D of the area S_(c) of thesemiconductor-device principal face and the inversion domain density Dis less than 2.3.
 2. A semiconductor device as set forth in claim 1,wherein the ratio S_(t)/S is 0.2 or less, and the product S_(c)×D isless than 0.7.
 3. A semiconductor device as set forth in claim 1,wherein the ratio S_(t)/S is 0.05 or less, and the product S_(c)×D isless than 0.1.
 4. A semiconductor device as set forth in claim 1,wherein the area of the GaN substrate principal face is 10 cm² or more.5. A semiconductor device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the GaNsubstrate is a product of vapor-phase deposition.
 6. A semiconductordevice as set forth in claim 5, wherein the GaN substrate is a productof hydride vapor-phase epitaxy.
 7. A semiconductor device as set forthin claim 1, wherein said semiconductor layer comprises a plurality oflaminae whereby a p-n junction interface is constituted between thesemiconductor laminae.